EASTER SEALS MIDWEST

Friday, January 7, 2011

A Cause Worth Fighting For

Over the past few days I have seen on the news and several websites the story involving vaccines and autism may have been fixed. While this is a very hot topic it is one I won't comment on, directly, because I am not a doctor and my opinion on the science in such a matter is irrelevant. What is relevant is my fear of the future for the autism spectrum.

Let's say that the study was fixed. With that being so are you going to be able to hear anything from a university, or a group study, and believe it?

The autism spectrum is, in my opinion, one of the hardest things to describe. It truly is! If a person is new to the world of autism and they go to Google they will be greeted with 16,800,000 pages. Now, if they look at recent news they may see this ongoing debate and how it may have been fixed.

What is going to be lost in this debate is the fact that autism exists. What I mean by that is just that. If you are reading this then you obviously aren't oblivious to the fact that autism is in this world, but for the media it is just a hotbed of a story and a story too good to pass up. There's lying, two sides, and a special cause. The media doesn't even need to try and sensationalize the story and that is the problem. Once again a story involving autism is out there and there is nothing positive about it.

I am actually quite angry at the moment over this. Maybe I am overly sensitive, but I just feel a situation like this sets everyone back. I am happy to be who I am and believe that the autism spectrum is worth fighting for. I have been saying on here for a long time that understanding is the foundation for hope, but if the world only hears these type of stories then the world will never know who we really are!

Eventually, I hope, the need to comment on such issues won't be needed. I know we are much further in this world than we were five years ago with regards to autism awareness. I am thankful I don't get the blank stare and the, "What did you say?" when I say I have Asperger Syndrome. The momentum is there and the collective knowledge is growing, but if there are enough negative stories then that is all the world will know of us. What is the saying, something along the line of a person will tell a bad experience 10 times but a good experience once. That's where I feel we may head. Again, maybe I am over reacting, but maybe that is a good thing because it's just more fuel for my passion and I know I will never stop fighting for this thing known as autism and I hope you feel the same way!

1 comment:

I understand how you feel... Some time ago there was a comedy on tv and there was this serious scene (all comedies have serious moments). They did a test on a child (3 years old or something) and the doctor gave the child back with a grave face and said "Sir... I'm sorry, but I suspect your child has Autism..." And the scene ended with the dad nodding silently and the camera turning away with a sad tune.This made me so angry! I was like "Oh wow... So that's how the world sees it? I have Autism... How sad... Now my future is doomed..."Seriously, Autism isn't always easy, but it's definitely NOT the end of the world! Just some good guidance and your child may end up growing up happily with a good job and everything!Autism shouldn't be ignored, but it's not the end either.

Who I Am

Hello, my name is Aaron Likens and thanks for visiting my blog. I am the Autism Ambassador for Easter Seals Midwest and also the author of the book "Finding Kansas. My passion in life is to raise the awareness and understanding of the autism spectrum through this blog as well as the many presentations I give. For myself, as much as it is a passion, it is personal because I was given the diagnosis of Asperger's when I was 20. Back then there wasn't much info and I fell into a pit of despair. I stayed there for 15 months but then I eventually discovered myself through writing and now here I am and here you are on my blog. There are well over 1,000 posts on this blog as I started blogging in March of 2010. So whether you're reading today's blog, or are skimming through stories of the past, I hope that your time here gives you a better glimps of what living life on the autism spectrum, or, "other side of the wall" is like. If you do like what you see please follow me on Facebook as that's where I share when I've written a new blog as well as announcing where I will be presenting. Please note that the opinions expressed on this blog are mine and may not be reflective of Easter Seals Midwest.

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Finding Kansas Revisited

To mark 10 years since I started writing my book I did a blog series with my thoughts from today on what I wrote then. This was the first time I ever read anything I had ever written.

The Sunglasses Experiment

I ran a sunglasses experiment to judge why eye contact is so difficult. I wore them for about 15 days, then I switched back to my normal glasses to see how big of a difference there was. By clicking my picture you can be taken to the page that has the complete experiement all in one place.

About Me

I am the Autism Ambassador for Easter Seals Midwest and also the author of Finding Kansas: Living and Decoding Asperger's Syndrome. My passion in life is raising awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders and to help the world understand how the mind of a person on the spectrum works. I can do this because I am on the spectrum (Asperger's).
I was diagnosed at the age of 20 and after the diagnosis a lot of my quirks made sense. I didn't understand who I was though and went into a deep depression. Through this depression though I became very keen on my inner self and I started to write. I wrote and I wrote and before I knew it I wrote a book.
5 years later I am, among other things, giving presentations to police, teachers, and parents and am now starting my quest on making the best blog possible!
The views on this blog are mine and may not be reflective of Easter Seals Midwest.
If you have any questions, or comments, or have an article idea please email me at aaron.likens@yahoo.com.